


Frozen

by Sabinasan



Category: The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Comfort/Angst, Extended Scene, Fellowship of the Ring, Gen, Grief/Mourning, The Ring's Hold on Frodo, bookverse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-01
Updated: 2015-01-01
Packaged: 2018-03-04 15:58:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3073715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sabinasan/pseuds/Sabinasan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Gandalf's fatal fall in Moria, the Fellowship pauses to address their wounds, both physical and emotional. Overcome with grief, Frodo comes to realize the real reasons he decided to take the Ring to Mordor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Frozen

**Author's Note:**

> The Lord of the Rings belongs to the Tolkien Estates. This is more book verse than Jackson's movie verse.
> 
> This is an edit of a work that was originally posted on Fanfiction.net under the same pen name.

All the excitement over the answer to the mystery of Frodo's survival in the Mines had calmed. Each member of the Fellowship was grateful that Bilbo had the foresight to gift Frodo a mithril shirt, and now had focused their attention to dressing superficial wounds and preparing a light supper. A quiet descended among the remaining members, each one still in shock over the sudden departure of Gandalf from their company. Frodo, especially, was left to his own thoughts, and they were just as melancholy - if not more - than the others. He watched as the others settled down to their food, deciding to keep away from the group. Sam noticed his distance and attempted to bring Frodo a plate of food, which Frodo promptly refused. It hurt to breathe, and not just because he had been jabbed by a troll's spear in the side. He couldn't chase away the thought that he had caused Gandalf's death.

Darkness began to creep over the world, the fire they had built cast wavering shadows over the entire company. Frodo became mesmerized as he stared at the flickering light, his thoughts constantly swirling around the events that had transpired in Moria. He had tried to place blame on Pippin. After all, if his fool-hardy cousin had not thrown a rock down the well, he would not have disturbed the foul goblin creatures that had overrun the Dwarvish kingdom, and he would not have woken that...what was it called? Yes, the Balrog. If Pippin had just kept his curiosity in check! But, Frodo had heard the talk from the others. They said that the goblins had been aware of their presence. They had only chosen the perfect moment to attack - when the company had shut itself into the single exit room of the Chamber of Mazerbûl. Pippin's rock merely told the goblins what they had already suspected. When it came down to it, the only one at fault could be Frodo as he was the one who had chosen that they take the path through the Mines.

"No," he whispered, attempting to keep tears at bay. "I could not have been responsible. Aragorn knew...he knew it would come to this."

Sam approached Frodo, a tin plate in his hand. He sat beside the elder hobbit, offering the food. "Mr. Frodo, you should eat something. Please."

Frodo shook his head, avoiding eye contact. "Not right now, Sam. I will when I feel up to it."

"Sam is right." Both Hobbits looked up to see Aragorn approaching. "You should eat."

Aragorn took a seat on the opposite side of Frodo, watching him closely. Frodo sighed. He knew that Aragorn would begin to question him further if he continued to refuse food. He took the plate from Sam's hand and forced himself to being to eat. After a few bites, he recognized how hungry he was and finished off the plate without further ado. This pleased Sam. Once he had finished, Sam took the plate and left Frodo and Aragorn alone. Frodo watched him go, feeling the temporary relief of food dissipate as his dark thoughts returned. Forgetting he wasn't alone, Frodo drew his cloak around him and lay on the hard ground, trying to forget his grief and guilt with sleep. Frodo felt tears snake down his face as he buried himself further under his cloak, and he attempted to hold back a sob. After a few minutes of crying, he could no longer hold it in, and he let out his breath, his body shaking with grief.

"Frodo? What is wrong?"

Frodo withdrew the worn fabric from his face and looked up at Aragorn. He quickly dragged a dirty hand over his eyes to mop up the tears already spilled. Aragorn smiled, attempting to be comforting, though it came across as a stern one. Frodo sat up, unable to look Aragorn in the face. 

"I...I could have stopped it. We didn't have to go through the Mines..."

"Frodo..."

"I have hurt the Fellowship. By choosing to go through the Mines, I have taken away the one person who knew the way and had a plan. Oh, Aragorn...I caused his death. It's all my fault!"

"Frodo," Aragorn soothed, "Gandalf knew he would not come out of Moria alive. It was a difficult choice to make, Frodo, but you made the correct choice. You know as well as everyone else that if we had gone through the Gap of Rohan, we would have been captured. Saurman would have the Ring. Everything would be worse. This path may have caused Gandalf's demise, but it was a sacrifice Gandalf was willing to make to be sure the Ring stayed safe with you. Gandalf knew what he would face when he entered Moria."

"He did not have to heed my suggestion."

"Sometimes, you must be the one to make the tough choices. This is _your_ journey, Frodo. We are all here to protect you and ensure that no one takes the Ring for ill-purpose. People will die, but think of what you are doing for all Middle-Earth," Aragorn smiled again. "You have made a selfless decision by taking the Ring."

Frodo drew his knees toward him, resting his chin upon them. His tears were gone. A new wave of guilt began to wash over him. This was not guilt involving Gandalf, but one that made him realize that he was deceiving them all. He wrapped his arms around his legs, coming to the decision that he needed to tell Aragorn what he was feeling in order to dispel his discomfiture. He needed to rid himself of this false image of chivalrous bravery. 

"I did not decide to take the Ring to benefit all of Middle-Earth," Frodo stated, his tone deadpan. 

"I do not understand," Aragorn stated, his expression puzzled. "What do you mean you did not do it for Middle-Earth?"

"I am sure you remember the meeting of Elrond's Council," Frodo began. Aragorn nodded to indicate that he did. "The Ring was placed in front of you all, and you all began to argue over who would be an appropriate candidate to take the Ring to Mordor. How I wanted to go home! I was thinking of my leisurely journey home and writing about it all when the Ring drew my attention and spoke to me. I began to doubt my decided path to return home. Should I continue? Or, should I return to the Shire and call my adventures over?"

"I think you made a wise choice," Aragorn stated.

Frodo shook his head. "You do not understand. I made the decision for myself." Frodo paused, waiting for a response from Aragorn. None was forthcoming, and the hobbit continued on. "The Ring...I could hear it talking to me. It seemed to recognize the darkness inside of me - the loneliness I had felt after my parents died. It made me remember how abandoned I had felt and...how little control I had over my life. It made me...it promised me protection from those horrible feelings. With it...I would be in control and never alone. The world would be mine for the taking."

Frodo peered up at Aragorn, a madness sparkling in his blue eyes. It was something Aragorn had never seen before in Frodo's usually gentle eyes, and it sent chills down to his core. Aragorn's brows furrowed as he listened intently to Frodo's words.

"I found...I found I could not abandon this precious object to someone else. After all, it was mine. Bilbo had given it to me...and it was given to him; therefore, I was _meant_ to have it. I...felt hopeless...weak, and it was then that I decided that I must be the one to take the Ring to Mordor. It was only after the Fellowship had been assembled that I realized the partial hold the Ring has over me. I fight every day against its whispers, but ignoring its words grows difficult with each passing day. Even now, it is suggesting that I abandon the Fellowship and take it elsewhere."

Aragorn grasped one of Frodo's hands and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Do not despair, Frodo. The Ring has done this with every person that has had it for some time. You are strong enough to fight its dark power. Gandalf saw that in you. _I_ see it in you. When you were stabbed by the Morgul blade, you were able to keep the darkness at bay for seventeen days before we were able to find the shard in your shoulder. You have a strength that cannot be seen or taken so easily from you. You faced the aftermath of your parents' death with far more courage than most - a courage that will allow you to hold on longer than any other member of the Fellowship."

Frodo's smile was barely there, and Aragorn saw the hobbit's hand grip the Ring on the chain around his neck. Aragorn knew it was speaking against his words and with a shake of his head, Aragorn placed a gentle hand over Frodo's and removed his grip from the Ring. Frodo didn't fight the gesture, the Ring falling heavily against the hobbit's breastbone. 

"You must fight the temptation to heed the Ring's words just as you fought against the darkness that threatened to consume you when you were orphaned. Fight against it as you did after you were stabbed by the Witch King. The Ring cannot give you what you already have."

Frodo looked at their grasped hands, feeling Aragorn's inner power suffuse itself into Frodo's hand. Frodo closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, taking in as much of Aragorn's positive energy as he could. As he concentrated on Aragorn, he could feel the Ring's influence lessen some. It remained in a remote corner of his mind, but it's whispers no longer dominated his thoughts. For the first time that day, Frodo felt a lightness of being despite the overwhelming grief that hung over the company. Frodo exhaled and opened his eyes, squeezing the man's hand in response to the one he had received. He turned his gaze toward the Ranger, and Aragorn was smiling. 

"I'm glad you have come, Aragorn. I do not know what I would do without your guidance."

"You are welcome, Frodo. I told you I would protect you, even if it cost my life to do so."

"I know."

With that, Aragorn stood and joined the rest of the company sitting around the fire. Frodo watched him go before lying back down on the ground and wrapping himself in his cloak once more.


End file.
